Hack Your Menu In Under 3 Minutes

Menus are the heart and soul of the restaurant industry. They come in all shapes and sizes, in color or black and white, but one thing remains constant- it leaves a lasting impression.

The ultimate marketing tool, the menu is often the deciding factor between getting a new regular or losing a customer. So it's important to be cognizant when crafting your bill of fare.

We found some tidbits for restaurant owners when it comes to putting your paint brush to the menu canvas.

Gone in 109 seconds

That's the average time a customer looks at the menu. What does that mean for the restauranteur? You better make that minute and 49 seconds count. To test how effective your menu is, set a timer and see how much information a third party get from your menu. Have them write down the food options that they remember, then look at those options and see if there are any trends between them!

Place the anchor in the right spot

A menu's anchor is essentially a benchmark for the menu. The "anchor" is the most expensive menu item and where you place it has great value. Customers are more likely to order the meal next to the anchor, due to the fact that the price will be drastically less expensive (giving the impression of a good deal). Place the anchor next to an item where the margin is in your favor. Placing that item next to anchor will give off the impression to the diner that they are getting the most bang for their buck.

Guide the eyes

Whenever a customer looks at a menu, their eyes fall into a trance (not because of the way you describe your filet). On a two-page menu, the first thing a person sees is the item in the center of the second page, and the last item they see is the item on the bottom of the second page. Knowing this information is vital because first impressions are everything. As we stated before, the average time spent looking at the menu is only a minute and 49 seconds. You can place the items with the anchor in prime position to get a higher profit!

The money box

Using boxes allows specific groupings to stand out. Many restaurants take their high-profit items, group them together and throw them into a nice framed square. Break down the menu items that you want to sell, whether it be the more expensive or seasonal items. Put those in a box on the side of the right side of the menu. The money box will stick out and customers would review the options in front of them, often times spending more time determining if they want to order those items.

Menus are all about the money box, but with that being said you shouldn't box out your suppliers. BlueCart offers easy ordering between restaurant and supplier. Set up your account now, it takes less than 3.5 minutes.

Start Calculating Your Food Cost Today

Enter your email to download your free food cost calculator

Check your inbox to confirm your subscription

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Published on

August 8, 2016

Ryan Karolak works in sales and marketing for BlueCart and is a recent graduate of NYU's Stern School of Business. Ryan's hobbies include record collecting, sports and nature. Ryan lives in Brooklyn, NY.